10 Intentions for De-colonizing My White Mind

10 Intentions for De-colonizing My White Mind

To say that we have a lot of work ahead of us would be an understatement. With many progressive whites finally taking a stake in de-colonization work I wanted to share a few intentions that help ground me in the process. Please leave feedback in the comments section, I would like for this to be an ever evolving document.

1.I am not doing this to save anyone. I am doing this because my liberation is bound up with everyone else’s.

2.I WILL STRIVE TO TAKE CRITICAL FEEDBACK AS A GIFT!

3.Understanding that my perspective is limited is key to expanding it.

4.I must continue to do my own personal healing. It would be counter-productive to try to solve larger cultural issues without also working on my own personal trauma, triggers, biases and experiences.

5.I will be wrong, often. Understanding implicit bias is not the dominant cultural tendency, it takes work to become aware of and un-learn these biases and the process is almost guaranteed to be uncomfortable. I am willing to be uncomfortable and to work through my own discomfort. Anything that makes me uncomfortable could hold important information for transforming inherent bias.

6.There is no finish line and no silver bullets. Real change takes time.

7.No one is responsible for my experience but me. I am going to take care of myself while taking responsibility for my experience and actions.

8.Learning by listening, “A wise woman learns more from a fool than a fool from a wise woman”.

9.My intentions will often not match up with the effect of my actions and I willing to adjust my approach based on feedback about those effects. My good ideas aren’t necessarily the best ideas, or what is needed in the moment. Just because I want to help doesn’t mean I am being helpful.

10.I will continue to ask questions. If my question is not answered in the way that I would like I will take a closer look at my question. No one owes me any explanations or answers.

Please leave your resources in the comments section so that this might be a living document of relevance for this work that is always evolving.